Elena Popa graduated from the “Marin Sorescu” Art High School in Craiova, where she was under the guidance of the distinguished teacher Mariana Ilie. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the National University of Music in Bucharest, working closely with prominent mentors like Prof. Dr. Dana Borșan, Associate Prof. Dr. Sorin Dogariu, and Associate Prof. Andrei Deleanu. She completed her Master’s studies at the “Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, studying under Prof. Dr. Daniel Goiți and Associate Prof. Dr. Csiky Boldiszar. In 2016, she achieved a Doctorate in Music from the National University of Music in Bucharest, with Prof. Dr. Dana Borșan as her advisor.
Currently, Elena Popa is a piano teacher and the coordinator of extracurricular activities and projects at the “Ion Vidu” Art High School in Timișoara. Her commitment to professional development has led her to attend numerous masterclasses with renowned international musicians such as Gabriel Amiraș (Germany), Michael Ratz (England), Michael Roll (England), Tamara Smolyar (Australia), Werner Bahro (Germany), and Viniciu Moroianu (Romania). In 2010, she participated in a Summer School organized by the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, working with Yuri Slesarev, the head of the piano department. To further develop her organizational skills, she attended training sessions like the Cultural Leadership School organized by UVT in 2018 and the Entrepreneurial Skills Course – UVT, 2018.
With over 30 years of stage experience, Elena Popa’s career includes orchestra concerts, numerous chamber music recitals, and solo performances, most recently in the ECO VIBES project. She has performed in piano duos with Dr. Dianna Vasiu from the Faculty of Music in Timișoara, with whom she recently participated in the World Piano Teachers Conference in Novi Sad (May 2024).
As a teacher with over 20 years of experience, Elena has worked at two of the top vocational institutions in Romania: the “Dinu Lipatti” National College of Arts in Bucharest (2004-2016) and the “Ion Vidu” Art High School in Timișoara (since 2016). Her students have won over 100 awards in national and international competitions and actively participate in artistic events, including school-organized recitals and orchestral performances.
Her experience as a cultural event organizer has grown gradually, starting with school events and collaborations with the Remember Enescu Foundation (2006-2013) and the Resonannce Foundation (2013-2015), eventually leading to independent cultural projects, initially without funding and later with financial support.